Music has Michael Jackson, Basketball has Michael Jordan, and Drugs has Marijuana. These are some famous MJs. One is a very talented singer, the other is a glorious athlete, and one is a constant companion. Do you know which is which?

For most, they grew up watching the two MJs. For others, they were with the other MJ since high school. Yup, marijuana is the constant companion of a lot of people. These people are mostly those who are in the field of creative arts, belong to the depressed, or just plain hippies.

Marijuana and other Drugs to children, drugs are things that cure people. It is what they get in drugstores. Drugs are healthy and need to be taken when sick. The innocence of children is enviable. They think that drugs are something good.

On the other hand, adults consider drugs as something dangerous and should be avoided. Hence, they started using the word medicine. They are also replacing the name drugstore with pharmacy. They are, in fact, afraid of drugs. They don’t want children to misunderstand what drugs are. Continue Reading →

Imaging two men sitting on a couch, watching TV – they are surrounded by boxes of pizza, cracker wrappers, and their favorite vape. Their eyes are puffy and red. Their lips are curved like they just won the lottery. These men are looking up the ceiling and randomly laughing. One will reach for a slice of pizza, while the other will inhale from the bong.

This is the typical television and movie portrayal of people who get high on marijuana. They are portrayed as people who are just hanging around and relaxing. But is this really what happens in real life? Vince from Portable Vaporizer Pro says that marijuana provides different types of high depending on the person taking it. Some would be energetic, while some would be sleepy. But what they all have in common are these side effects:

Hallucination

Relaxed feeling

Increased appetite

These are the common effects of getting high on marijuana. Other side effects would range from a creative boost to being groggy and sleepy. The creative boost that marijuana gives is one of the reasons why people in advertising get high. Since their job is to create appealing advertisements, they try to channel as much creativity as they can. And more often than not, it really does help them. Now the other reason why people take it up is because of its relaxing effect. People with depression and anxiety would usually turn to marijuana as an antidepressant. With the help of marijuana, depressed people are able to escape from their negative thoughts and anxieties. Finally, most young people take it because of the hallucination it gives. They actually find it entertaining. Imagine seeing unicorns and other funny-looking creatures. Now who wouldn’t find that entertaining? Moreover, because they are hallucinating and delusional, they say things that are out of this world. The bottom-line is, marijuana gives people different kinds of high. This is aside from the health benefits it provides. Moreover, like any other drug, marijuana also has negative side effects such as:

Lowered IQ levels

Addiction

Difficulty concentrating

Damage memory

So now that you’ve seen what marijuana gives its users, it’s time to look at why it’s illegal. Since marijuana is a natural antidepressant, it makes people sleepy and lazy. If marijuana was legalized, a lot of people would be skipping work because they don’t feel like getting up. When this happens, it would kill the productivity of the whole country. Furthermore, with the decrease in productivity, the economy will also go down with it. In conclusion, governments are afraid of the tremendous effects marijuana would have on the economy. Moreover, they are preventing its negative effects on people. Conversely, marijuana consumption is okay as long as it’s done in small amounts and as long as it doesn’t affect a person’s career. Just face it, with all the stress in the modern world, everyone needs to relax every once in a while.

Every year, millions of people get sick because of cigarettes. Some just get coughs and other treatable diseases, but others suffer from fatal illnesses like cancer, emphysema, etc.

What’s worse is that it’s not only the smokers who are getting sick. There are people who do not even smoke and still get ill.

Are these smokers aware of these illnesses and how they affect other people? If so, why are they still smoking? More importantly, why are cigarettes still legal?

On the other side of the coin, there are also millions of people who get high on marijuana. These people take marijuana like how smokers take their cigarettes.

Unlike cigarettes, marijuana does not cause severe illnesses. As a matter of fact, it is considered to have healing properties. Scientists and doctors believe that marijuana can battle the cancerous effects of smoking cigarettes.

If marijuana really does have healing properties and is good for the body, why is it frowned upon? More importantly, why is it illegal?

It’s best to take a closer look on marijuana and cigarettes to know why one is legal and the other is not.

Cigarettes

Cigarettes are sticks that are made from the tobacco plant. It is considered a stimulant and helps energize its users. It is also said to be one of the most addicting substances.

Moreover, cigarettes contain approximately 600 chemicals which in turn create more than 7,000 chemicals when burned. Also, at least 69 of those chemicals have been found to be cancerous.

Some of the chemicals that are found in cigarettes are:

Acetone- used in nail polish removers

Acetic acid- used in hair dyes

Ammonia- used as a cleaning item

Arsenic- can be found in rat poison

Benzene- found in rubber cement

Butane- found in lighter fluids

Cadmium- used in battery acids

Formaldehyde- used in embalming

Lead- which can be found in batteries

Can you imagine how many people put this in their mouths and bodies every day? Smoking cigarettes is like smoking a stick of poison which gives you a slow, agonizing death.

Now that you know what cigarettes contain, it’s time to look at marijuana.

Marijuana

Marijuana is one of the famous names for the Cannabis plant. Aside from smoking it, there are also other ways of taking marijuana.

Moreover, it is also believed to help fight cancer and reduce the cancerous effects of cigarettes. It is also known to heal some psychological illnesses and chronic diseases.

Despite the differences between the two substances, they are still connected in the following ways:

Majority of people who tried marijuana have also tried smoking tobacco

Many marijuana smokers are also cigarette smokers

Nicotine dependence may increase with the consumption of both cannabis and tobacco

Lung damage is worse when using both products at the same time

So why is tobacco still legal and marijuana illegal?

There are many arguments regarding this. Here are some of the most notable ones:

The cigarette industry employs a lot of people because of its process.

Marijuana can grow in backyards and does not need to be processed.

In conclusion, revenues matter to big companies and the government. The bigger the revenue of the tobacco companies, the more tax the government can collect. On the other hand, growing marijuana is not as profitable as the tobacco business.

Cigarettes, guns, and alcohol – these are a few dangerous things that are legal. Every year, millions of people die because of these things. Yet, the government allows people to buy these. Why is that so?

Why do they allow people to smoke cigarettes when it causes diseases not only to smokers, but to the people around them? Why is alcohol allowed when it’s basically poison? More importantly, why are people allowed to have guns when they don’t really need one?

Marijuana, on the other hand, is a natural plant that has healing properties. Yet, it’s illegal to use, plant, and distribute marijuana.

Has the world gone mad?

Why is it allowing people to have things that kill, while forbidding them from getting something useful?

Maybe it’s because of the fact that marijuana legalization will not bring a lot of money. Unlike alcohol and cigarettes, marijuana does not need to be processed. More importantly, it can be planted in backyards, thereby making it less expensive to produce. The implication? No one really earns from marijuana.

So is it all about the money?

Well, if that’s the case, marijuana can also bring in tax collections and revenues.

In some countries where marijuana is allowed, using it can only be done in cafes. Furthermore, the governments of these places closely monitor marijuana distributors.

By doing these measures, the government is still able to earn tax revenues from marijuana users and distributors. For example, the state of Colorado has already earned millions of dollars from marijuana-related taxes.

Though marijuana cannot bring in as much money as alcohol and tobacco, legalizing it can bring in millions. More importantly, it is safer for users and can also serve as a medicine.

But if it’s not just about the money, then what’s it about?

Another reason why governments are not legalizing marijuana is because of cultural norms. Most countries that do not accept marijuana are those that have strict religions. These places are those which have low levels of liberated thinking.

If this is the case, the government can shift the perspective of these people. The government can point out that marijuana is a medicinal plant and can really be helpful.

Moreover, legalizing marijuana can lead to a decrease of crimes that are committed under the influence of drugs. Since marijuana is an antidepressant and it makes people feel relaxed, those who’d use it won’t be aggressive. It’s definitely different from the high brought by meth and cocaine, which results to robberies and even killings.

In conclusion, marijuana legalization is something worth fighting for. Not only will it bring in revenue for the government, a lot of people will benefit from it. The sick will have more options to treat their diseases, places will be more peaceful, and people can be healthier.